celiac Archives - A Vegan Obsession

New Grains Gluten Free Vegan Bread - Review & Giveaway

September 1, 2015 by India Leigh

Gluten Free Vegan Bread - Review and Giveaway

Being gluten free is so much easier today than it was even 5 years ago. Products are improving all the time and more and more you get to feel like you are really not missing out on anything. Many restaurants are offering gluten free breads and buns so you can still enjoy their sandwiches and burgers. Still not enough though. Just because we are gluten intolerant doesn’t mean we do not want to get a cheeky slice of vegan pizza or a hearty vegan burger of a night! But things are changing and progress is steady. Bread has been one thing I’ve missed over the years. I’ve made my own with varying degrees of success but I am always keeping an eye out for a good gluten free vegan bread I can buy.

I’ve been digging around on the internet to back up my constant scouting of super markets to find a bread that will list itself as vegan and gf. Few exist. One I tried recently was New Grains Bakery They are primarily an online operation but they do have a few stores in various states.

They are a family owned company. A passionate, late diagnosed celiac dad, Tim Lawson, discovered five of his seven (!) children were celiac and he wanted more for them than the grainy, tasteless products that were available to the gluten free population at that time. He and his wife Nicole set to work in their making all the family favourites, but making them gluten free. A company grew out of it as they began to sell their produce.

Like the majority of gluten free breads available in the USA it is not feather light. But it is lighter than most and vegan. When I was sampling it I found over a few days is in the fridge the less light it seems. At this point though it is great toasted. The hamburger buns were delicious teamed with beet and mushrooms burgers that I made. Also a winner with the 11 year old I tested them on. The cinnamon bread is spicy and perfectly sweet and I loved accompanying it with a spread of coconut oil and fruit-sweetened strawberry jam. Or honestly, just by itself. I imagine you could roll up slices and put them in a baking dish and cover with maple icing and they’d be like cinnamon rolls.The English muffins were all devoured by my gluten eating husband. He slathered with peanut butter and topped with ripe banana slices. I think that demonstrates his verdict.

New Grains are not a vegan company but perhaps they may think about using Hampton Creek’s Beyond Egg - egg substitute to make more of their products vegan in the future?!

Among their ever expanding (10 at present) vegan gluten free, 100% organic, non-gmo product range are;

Cinnamon Bread

Sandwich Bread

English Muffins

Hamburger Buns

Tortillas

We’ve teamed up with New Grains to spread the word. They have a sample box to giveaway to one lucky winner.

Gluten Free Vegan Bread - Review and Giveaway. A sample box of muffins, burger buns and your choice of sandwich or cinnamon bread. Enter below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pubs with Vegan Options in the UK

April 9, 2014 by India Leigh

Find yourself hungry and away from a sizeable city and it can be a wasteland for vegans, and slim pickings for those with gluten or other food sensitivities. Jacket potato anyone? Oh yes, I’ll just pop on my 80’s shoulder pads, white stilettos and step back in time to devour this culinary masterpiece!

Back here in the 21st century changes are afoot. A trickle of inventiveness is emerging and SOME pub and cafe chains are offering those who prefer to live off plants and don’t find a plate of raw carrots sticks and tomato sauce a dinner worthy of salivation, a meal with flavour and a bit of thought.

A few weeks back I was staying in a twee little English village. A friend was visiting and I didn’t want to cook. I heard something on the grapevine about a local Greene King pub that was serving a couple of vegan dishes on the menu. Hoorah! I called ahead and, hang out the bunting, ring the bells, they confirmed that they did.

I didn’t quite skip with glee all the way there as I was a bit wary, however I was pleasantly surprised. The salad was tasty and filling. The beetroot glaze was lovely and the tiny chillies added a gentle kick.

Vitality (V)

Mixed leaves, rosemary-roasted squash, edamame beans,
roquito peppers, marinated olives, fine beans, chickpeas, broccoli, sun-blushed baby tomatoes, red onion, beetroot glaze £7.45

Friend ordered the gourd and tomato soup. It was not gluten free so I did not try it but he thought it was flavoursome and filling.

I contacted all the major pub chains in the UK in addition to Greene King, to enquire about their menus and if they cater for food allergies, etc. Not one responded. Charming. However, I visited Wetherspoons on a couple of occasions and they have a gluten free and vegan chickpea curry on offer in their Curry Club. The website has a useful interactive special diets menu which lists food items to your particular dietary needs.

Do you know of any other pubs or cafe chains in the UK that welcome vegans and dinners with food allergies? Please leave a comment below and I will add it to this post. Thanks.

Vegan Eats In Berlin - Emma Pea [review]

August 25, 2013 by India Leigh

So, apparently there is no Emma Pea, not an Emma, not even a woman, but two guys behind the vegan food joint, Emma Pea. The chef told me it was something to do with hip hop, or beat box, or something. I feel decidedly uncool. James, the Chef, is not from Berlin, but the West of Ireland. Does that matter? I guess not. Speaking to him briefly, it was clear to see he is passionate about food. That does matter.

The cafe is situated in-between Friedrichsain and Kreuzberg, a stones throw from the river and a long section of Berlin Wall, within the hub of Urban Spree. Emma Pea shares it’s space with climbing walls, outdoor bars, music venues and an arts space. It looks somewhat like a trailer, with steel steps up to the restaurant. It’s cozy inside and feels relaxed. Outside you can sit out on the high deck and people watch. If you are lucky, enjoy the sun too.

James, teased me about my lengthy deliberations on choosing the menu. “you’re a blogger? Jesus, how long does it take you to write?!’ Writing is easy I say, picking the food I want is a bit more complicated. I explain I may only get to eat there once. My time in Berlin being limited and with so many vegan places to eat. ‘It’s got to be right’. I say. He then asks me how I’m feeling, and it’s like food therapy. I see how ridiculous I’m being and choose the stuffed paprika. I pay, and go and sit outside in the sun. Lucky (?!) for me I’m gluten free, or I’d have been there forever deciding. Alas, not everything on the menu is suitable for the gluten intolerant among us.

The food takes just a few minutes to arrive, giving me time to relax. It looks fresh. Obvious care is taken over presentation. The paprika (red pepper) is roasted and stuffed with lentils and soft, fluffy buckwheat. Blanched green beans are pepper flecked, and sprinkled with rough chopped hazelnuts, a hint of olive oil adds richness. An abstract flash of cherry pink vinaigrette, (perhaps a little too acidic for my palate) cuts through the dish and adds a modern twist to a vegetarian favourite. I was happy with my selection.

Nice atmosphere, relaxed ‘urban’ dining. Inexpensive.

Other things on the menu - chilli with mole (27 ingredients..this guy knows his stuff). Burrito’s. Green coconut curry. Spinach & chickpea soup, to name but a few. Some gluten free options. Sadly, no gluten free cakes or treats, at this time.

I popped over the road to veganz for a slice of mud cake. The perfect end.

For other food reviews in Berlin.

Best Burger In Berlin?
Totally Vegan Collective
Visiting Berlin
Veganz Sunday Brunch

Lots more to follow!

Emma Pea Vegan & Vegetarian Cafe

Revaler Straße 99, 10245 Berlin

nearest S-Bahn Warchauser Strasse

[Giveaway] Enter To Win A Fabulous Gluten Free Foods Bundle

July 19, 2013 by India Leigh

a selection of products included in the giveaway

A couple of days ago I told you about my latest gluten free, low fat rave. Bean Pasta. Now, other than just telling you about it, we are giving you a chance to win a box of gluten free goodies for yourself. The online gluten free food speicalists Gluten Free Food Market contacted me, after seeing the blog post and said, ‘do you want to send a whole box of goodies to one of your readers?‘. Um, YES! said I.

They are generously giving away, one of each of the following;

Explore Asian bean pasta
Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Baking Flour
La Veneziane Tagliatelle
Bob’s Four Grain Porridge
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats
Bob’s Red Mill Oat Bran

Enter below. UK Mainland Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gluten Free Pizza Bases & Flatbreads - Allergy Friendly

July 9, 2013 by India Leigh

Chewy bread with oh so satisfying pullapartedness and a oily, crunchy outer layer…I’ve salivated over the memory of it, enjoyed on a Friday night after work, alongside a pizza, way, way back in my butter and wheat eating days. When the after effects of ‘pizza night’ made it loose it’s appeal, I surrendered myself to the reality that I’d just have to go without. Of course, I could have made it myself but, to be honest, back then, I didn’t believe it would come up to scratch so I didn’t bother. Also, back then, I didn’t cook. I was a microwave queen.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a Free From food show, and spotted one of the stands handing out small round pizzas to a very excited crowd. The fragrance of caramelised garlic and dough was blowing my mind. I grabbed a slice. I encountered that familiar tug of war between teeth and bread. It was chewy, with a gorgeously flaky crust, infused with garlic and sweet tomato sauce. I was in HEAVEN!

Just who were making this product…and how?! Please take a bow - Venice Bakery UK

The folks from this bakery have recently partnered with the, family owned, original bakery, founded in California back in the 50’s. They made the outstanding decision to share their Coeliac (celiac) UK approved flatbreads and pizzas over here in Blighty. And I am mighty pleased about that.

Gluten free

Wheat free

Soy free

Dairy free

Egg free

Corn free

VEGETARIAN & VEGAN friendly

Their products are also trans fats free, non-GMO, and are free from culinary gums and E numbers. Are you falling in love yet? I am!

They have a long shelf life. If you travel a whole bunch and, like me, pack a little pantry of food in your suitcase to tide you over until you track down the whole foods store, then these are perfect, too. They are vacuum packed and last for 2 months. And longer, if chilled or frozen.

I smothered my pizza base in tomato concentrate, a grinding of black pepper and a few basil leaves. Nothing else. The base is so nicely seasoned and flavoured, it is gorgeous as is, or with minimal adornment. The flatbread I just drizzled in extra virgin olive oil, scrubbed over with a garlic clove, and topped with fresh rosemary.

Ingredients: Rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flakes, potato start, water, evaporated cane sugar, olive oil, fresh yeast & salt.

My only gripe is that the products contain sugar (for those of you who have not yet quit sugar then no need to worry) but according to Rachel of Freshly Baked sugar is not necessary to make bread, it just makes it prove more quickly but she thinks the flavour develops the longer the yeast gets to hang out. I rarely eat sugar. It can knock me off balance. The way I see it is this, on occasion (keep it special) it is ok. The fact that I have found a pizza base that is gluten free, trans fat free and vegan, is a bloody dream come true! Also, now I know it can be done. I will try and replicate it when I get time. But right now I don’t have to as someone has done it for me. This isn’t your typical, ‘make allowances because it’s gluten free’ product. It is top notch.

It is sold to the UK online from Venice Bakery 3 x 5inch bases are £3.39. They have an offer for a sampler pack for £10, saving of just under £5. If you are in the US then you can order it from their Venice Bakery USA store online.

Have you come across any vegan and gluten free products lately, you want to tell us about? Please let us know and click on the post a comment tab below.

Vitao - London VEGAN restaurant review

August 26, 2011 by India Leigh

I was hopping into London for a Bloggers Meetup so, of course, preplanning where I was to eat(food research…a glorious chore). The meetup was in Soho so I Googled the area and abracadabra…Vitao flashed its vegan credentials at me. I had been before but it has altered its style of service to a buffet (to budge over and create some room for it’s sister VANTRA - which is more restaurant style).

How it works is this - you get a choice of 3 plates that you have to juggle for 5mins whilst rapping about vegan food, in order to get served..no, I lied. That would be silly. 3 plates of differing sizes; baby plate = £5.50, mommy plate = £6.50, Big daddy plate = £8.90 for as much as you can eat. The Big Daddy would be like a red rag to a bull and I would have gone mental eating it all so I opted for the middle one (ooh, it’s like Goldilocks..except I’m brunette and it ain’t porridge).

If you are vegan/vegetarian, macrobiotic, gluten-free, celiac or coeliac (seems there are two ways to spell it in US or UK), sugar-free, low-fat or just plan HUNGRY, Vitao promise to be your go-to restaurant in the heart of Soho. So I grabbed a plate and set about discovering if it is true. If you have a food intolerance then please do check with them. The noodles, seitan & soy sauce are not gluten-free.

I pretty much filled up my plate. Unfortunately the waiter could tell me the names for any of the dishes, and I cannot remember all of the 10 or so I filled my plate with, but there were lots of colourful raw salads with tasty dressings, steamed broccoli, curries, stews, veggie rices and potato & cauliflower bakes. ALL of them were bursting with flavour and each dish highly individual. Only one dish didn’t really float my ship and that was the Chinese mushroom stew, purely because the texture of the mushrooms was a bit weird/slimy….IMHO. The tofu and spinach stew and the carrot salads were my current favourites.

Dessert was not on the cards for me this time, as I have been baking at home so much I thought I’d better reign it in for a while. They had a range of vegan desserts and cakes on the counter that looked very comely! I devoured a raw apple pie here last year and it was sensational (though not as good as my homemade raw apple pie - I know, not very British of me to boast but someone has got to blow my trumpet in the vast orchestra of online vegan foodies).

They also serve a huge range of vegan milked based drinks, juices & smoothies, herbal teas and just plain, honest to goodness, water. I noticed, they used to use all organic eco-friendly toiletries in the loos and I was a little disappointed that this was not the case on this visit.

I think Vitao would be equally great for a bunch of friends or just comfy by yourself watching the world go by.

Fudgey, sinless - Black Bean Brownies

July 28, 2011 by India Leigh

Oh my God, are you excited just SEEING that picture? As if passing on the baton in a brownie relay race..come..I shall share with you, so you too can be Princess of the brownies in your very own kitchen…

There is this whole vegan and gluten free trend that I’m TOTALLY into. Legumes! Using them in cooking is nothing new, but they now lounge in cookies, cakes & frosting. They fake ‘fish’ and provide a satisfying crunch for a salty snack. Beans are the new ‘black’.

I am always looking for ways to find out how to make goodies that are sin free but feel as though they come from the devils bakery. Why? so I can eat them when I want, feel GREAT about it and stay my svelte self. Bean flour (and coconut flour) has been opening up new doors for me as I scouted to find a way of HAVING, without flours that make me feel.. blegh! My adventures led me to the door (website) of Happy Herbivore’s LOW FAT black bean brownies (thanks a million for the recipe!) I checked my map - sugar free, low fat, gluten free, vegan - yep, X marked the spot. black bean chocolate brownies I of course changed the recipe to make it my own…just a tad.

You are now only minutes away from dark fudgey treasure.

From your food chest you will cluster…

15 ounces of black beans (440ml or 1 1/4 cups) - I think cooking your own is best - make loads and then stash your remaining loot in the freezer
2 whole ripe bananas
1 cup organic gluten free oats I used Bob’s Red Mill
1/3 cup agave (I had run out so I blended a mix of 6 juicy prunes and dates)
1 tbs fruit sweetened marmalade (optional)
1 tbs fruit sweetened cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup unsweetened pure cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coffee granules - pour over 1 tbs boiling water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
a couple of shakes of chili powder (purely optional)

Heat your oven to 350f (175) and line a 8 x 8 pan

1. with the exception of the oats & the cranberries, put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and using a hand blender, blend until smooth.
2.fold in the ground oats and cranberries and mix well. If you wanted the brownies less fudgey and more cakey then add 1 tsp baking powder.

Bake for 35 - 40 mins. Check them after 30mins. leave in pan for 5 mins and then gently lift onto a rack to cool.

I am besotted, bewitched, captivated and SMITTEN by these squares of rich, chocolate LOVE! BFF

Orange roasted, stuffed fennel with pine nuts

July 28, 2011 by India Leigh

I have used fennel in salads and soups before but I’ve never roasted it. I came across the recipe whilst flicking through a Good Housekeeping mag I scribbled it down shorthand on the back of a scrunched up receipt fished from the blackened depths of my bag. When I got home I couldn’t actually read my writing but I’d bought some fennel so I made this ad lib.

Orange roasted, stuffed fennel with pine nuts

This recipe is for 1 - if you are not a mean spinster like me..go ahead change it up according to how many you are feeding

1 fennel bulb

1 tbs bread crumbs (I used gluten free by Hale n Hearty who also make my fave cassava chips..if you are in UK Morrisons have produced their own version. They are not as good but HnH are mighty good so have set the bar v.high)

1/2 zest & juice of an orange

1 tbs pine nuts

1 tbs fresh parsley

1 tbs of extra virgin oo

salt & pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375f

Cut fennel in half length ways and place flat side up in a pan of boiling water for 10 mins (alternatively you could roast in plenty of oil for 30mins and then stuff and finish off in oven)

mix the remaining ingredients and spoon onto the fennel

roast for approx 30 mins. Make sure you don’t let it burn y’all!

I am really loving this simple dish. I served it with quinoa. The flavours and textures were a rave!

Ready for a visual feast?……

Are you going to try it? Which picture did you like best? Any comments welcomed, longed for, craved and gratefully received…it’s a VEGAN/RECIPE/COOKING BLOGGING jungle out here…help me to develop a blog that serves YOU. x

HOMEMADE SAUSAGES - Woo hoo! vegan BANGERS - gluten free and beyond GOOD

July 27, 2011 by India Leigh

Seriously, I am SHOCKED at how good these herby, robust, dense, intensely flavoured, sausages are. Really..SHOCKED..first time at making them…adapted from this recipe and they are rocking my world. Full kudos to Destiny Stone writer for Celiac.com I used the basic recipe and then tweaked it. The world is a brighter place today…I can actually now live my life happily, knowing I’ve the power of vegan, gluten free sausage alchemy.

I cannot wait to hear what you think of them….we’ve only just begun (background musak of the Carpenters)

Vegan SAUSAGES

1 can black eyed beans- drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup ground oats (oat flour)
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup dried mushrooms - 1/8 soaked in hot water and then drained & 1/8 ground dry in a coffee grinder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs grated vegan Parmesan
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs ground fennel seeds (grind in coffee grinder)
1 pinch chili flakes or to taste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1/2 tsp salt (to taste..the mushrooms will be salty)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp xantham gum (I’ve not tried without but I considered it a good idea to help the bind and density)

Preheat oven to 190c / 375f

1.with a hand blender, blend all the ingredients. the mix will be seriously firm - this is good.
2.form sausages - makes about 10
3.line pan with parchment paper
4.wet hands to smooth the surface of the sausages (so they look a bit ‘bagel buffed’ like) you don’t have to do this but presentation is good
5.bake for approx 15-20 mins or fry until golden. I baked them to intensify the flavour and then fried them for a couple of minutes to brown and make them all glisteny…. AWESOME

AWESOME!

San Francisco Vegan Restaurants

January 29, 2011 by India Leigh

I feel like I’m reminiscing a holiday romance. Heart longing, stomach rumbling. Recalling that first bite…first thrilling taste that got my heart beating faster..rendered me a little breathless. I find myself doing the …head to on side…. goon smile, as I pour over slide-shows of entrees I’ve set on ‘continuous’.. I jealously wonder who is enjoying you now? SAN FRANCISCO. Five weeks were not long enough……so many VEGAN options…so little time..

How do I whittle it all down?… WRITE A LIST!?

This is by no means an extensive list of ALL the vegan places or vegan friendly joints in SF, that would take a lifetime. Though I would be very happy to make it my life’s work! Here is my ‘buffet’ list. Mostly from eateries in the Mission District…

BEST SALAD…Persimmon with chipotle vinaigrette from Gracias Madre. So amazing, the flavours and textures are fresh…triumphant almost. Like a party where everyone gets on well.
BEST FRENCH FRY………..Pica Pica. Garlicky, salty, with a happy crunch and a little oozie oiliness.

Garlicky yucca fries and crispy, salty plantains…Oh sweet Jesus these were DELIGHTFUL

BEST TAMALE - (I obsessively, sampled a few)…One in the Sunshine Cafe, the Tamales de los dias served up at Gracias Madre, Amy’s Kitchen (frozen but not to be sniffed at), I’d made a promise to sample one in Sugarlump, a retro cafe in the Mission…this was not to be. They were good, but all them were beaten hands down, by a fling with a perfectly spiced and spongy, sweet bean tamale, handmade, organic and delivered STEAMING to your door by La Guera Tamalera. I know, I know, it is not from San Francisco but Silverlake, Los Angeles. But I’d moved on..I needed a hit…It isn’t cheating!

PICA PICA -

Yes…I ate the WHOLE LOT! The arepas were stuffed with deep fried plantains, avocado, perfectly seasoned black beans and a warm tomato salsa

BEST VENEZUELAN - Pica Pica Maize Kitchen. Pica, meaning a little bit of this..a little bit of that…Their menu is gluten free and VEGAN friendly. Their arepas are corn flour cakes. Soft on the inside but crispy on the outside.
BEST MEXICAN - Gracia’s Madre

VEGAN FROZEN DINNER! WOW!

BEST ‘GRAB IT FROM THE FREEZER’ ENTREE….Joint first listing goes to…

GRAB IT FROM THE FREEZER

MOST FRIENDLY & PASSIONATE RESTAURANTERS - Souley Vegan

The EVERYTHING plate from Souley Vegan in Oakland. The deep fried tofu and herby cornbread are FABULOUS!

MOST OVERPRICED (they should be ashamed of themselves) ‘concept’ restaurant - Cafe Gratitude!

No calories…fizzy, spices…catch the back of your throat loveliness. Made in the Bay by a passionate brewer!

BEST SODA - ~Taylor’s tonic.

BEST GROCERS - ~Rainbow foods - THIS PLACE IS VEGAN UTOPIA…I spent hours wandering around in here, marvelling at the inventiveness of VEGAN BEINGS.

Oh so moreish…they make chocolate flavour too….One for my ‘to try’ list..

BEST SNACK - KALE CHIPS! Blue Mountain Organics. AN EXPENSIVE ADDICTION! But SO blooming good!
BEST RAW - Lydia’s Kitchen. The Varta Plate . I enjoyed this TASTE SENSATIONAL raw entree at a Green Fayre in the Bay and the drove all the way to Fairfax..across the Bridge, to have Varta, The sequel.

Not very photogenic but filling and DELICIOUS. Vegan sourcream, nacho cheese, creamy avocados and curried cashew cheese.

MOST INNOVATIVE VEGAN CREATORS - Gracias Madre. Hands down…Their quesos blancos, nachos cheese and guac, partnered with their home-grown, heirloom corn is nothing short of hands in the air, praise be, gorgeousness.

Quesadillas de Calabaza - RAMJAM PACKED with butternut squash, topped with Nacho cheese made from cashews and a sunflower salsa. HEAVEN!

UDUPI - Indian food extraordinaire!

BEST INDIAN - UDUPI PALACE - I went to this place on Valencia Street 4 times, just to make sure the quality prevailed.. The DOSA’s where so good they induced, in me, fits of giggling! Highly embarrassing when dining solo! The sambal pasted on the crispy pancake, greeting the perfectly spiced potato curry inside was MANNA!

BEST SOUP - Whole Foods Market hot counter - Moroccan lentil - these fellas know how to use those Middle Eastern spices. Comfort food on a spoon!

BEST ICE-CREAM - Coconut Bliss ANY FLAVOUR

How can i sum up VEGAN San Francisco, when I feel I only scratched off the first layer…the crust? How about entrees I wished I’d tried? Like the Tamales at the Ferry building or Sugar Lump Coffee Lounge, Potato Pie at Herbivore (instead of ordering the sugar laden carrot cake….regrets I have a few..) or the tofu scramble at the Sunshine cafe. Millennium.how about Millennium? How could I have missed that?! No, NO, I will have to go back. San Francisco, this is not the end….

Carrot cake at Herbivore… Too much sugar!

THE BEST TAMALE…SO GOOD THEY SHOULD NAME IT TWICE! La Guera Tamalera

My late night writing haven in the Misson…Sugar Lump Coffee Lounge

Tamale and tea at the Sunrise Restaurant